What is e-government?
e-government – or digital government or e-administration – is the application of ICT to government services. It involves delivering public services through digital means to give citizens and businesses more accessible access to government information and services, improve the quality of these services, and provide more opportunities for participation in democratic institutions and processes. Namely, e-government is a system for making the services offered by the public administration digital and thus paperless.
How can we describe e-government?
Efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, functionality, accessibility, usability, service quality, and interoperability are the terms that come to mind in describing e-government.
Which is the goal of e-government?
The goal is not to automate current processes as much as it is to change them: e-government is transforming how the government conducts business and provides services, significantly enhancing internal operations and customer service .
To whom is e-government addressed?
e-government addresses citizens, businesses and the government itself. In this regard, the information and services flow from citizens to government, government to citizens, and within the government itself increased significantly and represents one of the advantages of e-government. Depending on the target audience, we can distinguish among four information and services flows:
- e-governance can directly address the government establishing interoperability among governmental sectors, called Government to Government (G2G);
- it can address to citizens, allowing citizens to access a wide variety of government services, establishing the so-called Government to Citizen (G2C);
- it can address to businesses, easing the communication between government and business in a Government to Business (G2B) scheme;
- finally, it can address to government’s employees in a Government to Employees (G2E) interaction.
Why is e-government effective?
The European Commission’s latest report (2022) defines four key dimensions of e-government which are the basis of its effectiveness. Those dimensions are:
- Do you know that you can download digital service apps directly to your mobile phone? Do you know you can ask for help if you have difficulties using them?
All this is possible because these tools are designed with a user-centricity approach. Users intended as businesses, government employees and, especially, citizens are the primary beneficiaries and consumers of e-government tools. In this respect, EU governments have realised the key role of users (citizens and businesses) in deploying digital services, making them available online, affordable through mobile apps, and providing online support systems.
- Each time, I have to fill in the date of birth. What happens to this data?
To answer this question, governments must implement transparency policies. Indeed, the other key dimension is transparency, which “promotes efficiency, accountability and trust in public sector organisations” (European Commission et al., 2022, p. 24). Transparency shows how governments handle users’ personal data – among the most common are their home address and date of birth – and for what purposes. It also shows how citizens can participate in online services’ policy-making and service design process. A high degree of transparency in service design can support participatory processes (e.g. Participa.gov, elaborated by the Portuguese government).
- So I can really do everything online?
Thanks to the Key Enablers, you can keep track of your documents, receipts and certified mail. The key enablers are tools that support efficient, secure and easily accessible e-government services, such as eID (electronic identification), e-documents (electronic documents) and Digital Post.
- What happens if I am a foreign citizen?
e-government services are designed to be cross-border services, making services available to foreigners and international companies.
In which areas can e-government be applied?
e-government services can be applied to a wide range of sectors.
What happens if digital tools are applied to teaching? The result is the development of new modes of teaching that are interactive and flexible in terms of space and time, giving rise to e-education, also known as e-learning. This category of digital services involves using technology and digital tools for teaching and learning.
Can I pay online and keep track of my payments? Yes, it is also faster, safer and more practical than cash. With e-billing, invoices are sent electronically, and your payments are handled online without paper. Any financial transactions with debit cards, bank transfers, direct debits on mobile apps or payments based on QR codes are part of e-payments.
Do I have to queue at the box office to buy a concert ticket? No, thanks to e-leisure, you can book many leisure activities online, such as flight tickets, accommodation, leisure activities and so on.
I have a cold and would rather not leave the house. Can I book my next doctor’s appointment directly from home? Thanks to e-health tools, health services and information are provided via various national platforms.
Is my civic engagement only demonstrated by taking to the streets? No, e-participation offers online tools complementary to offline civic and political participation. It seeks to increase access to public information and services to empower individuals and advance society while promoting participation in policy-making. This will result in better collaboration between governments and citizens.
I lost my job and have to change my status from employed to unemployed in order to get state aid, but the municipality is far from my home. Can I change my status online? Yes, e-administration uses information and communication technologies to improve the internal functioning of public services and make them more accessible to users by making information available online for users, providing the possibility of downloading forms to be printed by the user, providing forms to be filled out and validated directly online, providing the possibility of requesting or making a declaration online and sending the form electronically.
What do you need to know about your digital identity?
To access e-government services, you need to create a Digital Identity through which you securely and reliably prove your identity. A digital identity for digital government services is typically created from your identity document (usually from the ID card o Passport).
In addition to having an eID, the concept of digital identity also extends to other factors. Every time we register on a website, be it a government portal, an e-bank or another type of service, we need a number of elements that build our digital identity. To access a portal we usually need email addresses, usernames and passwords.
Furthermore, our online identity is determined by tracking all the activities we perform online: both online search activities and our purchasing history or behaviour are recorded and determine the trends of our online identity.
It is important to understand the value of your digital identity. It can be perceived as something temporary, but it is not. Because you leave a trail of any information you read or create when you go online, your digital identity is just as strong as your offline identity: when something is shared or posted online, it may remain there indefinitely, leaving a digital footprint – a record of all your online interactions – that can be seen by others (NSW Department of Education, n.d.).
In this sense, a digital identity can comprehend information like: name and date of birth, Email addresses, Usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, Passport numbers, Online search activities, Purchasing history or behaviour and so on.
Once the digital identity is created (on any website), there are tips you can follow to manage your identity securely. You can change your PIN and password regularly, avoid reusing similar passwords, and alternatively, use FaceID; you can also protect your personal information by consenting or removing consent for sharing your data with a digital service.